Washing-machine



J. N. THORNTON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1 I, 1920.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET J. N. THORNTON.

I WASHING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION FILED SEPT. I1, 1920.

1 ,387,630. Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. N. THORNTON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.H,1920.

Patented Aug. 16,1921.

86 5 O w i M GI In 6 din Wsz J. N. THORNTON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTXH, 1920.

1,387,630, Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. THORNTON, OF NEVI BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed September 11, 1920. Serial No. 409,612.

To cZZ whom 2'2 may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN N. THORNTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ashing-lvlachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clothes washing machines and embodies one particularly adapted to be applied to or used on stationary or so-called set-tubs. It may be easily and quickly applied to or removed from a tub by means of supporting members secured or clamped to opposite upper dges of the tub and will fit tubs of different widths. The supporting members furthermore may remain secured to the tub when the washing mechanism proper is not in place or has been removed thus permitting free normal use of the tub for other purposes. hen the supporting members are in place the washing mechanism proper may be easily and quickly placed in operative position on them and may be as easily and quickly removed. The washing mechanism itself includes a longitudinally flexible belt or band of considerable width which is supported and carried by a drive shaft mounted in the supporting members and it hangs down in an expanded loop form into the tub and below the water in it and receives within the loop the clothes to be washed. Means for driving the drive shaft is carried by one of the supporting members and when the shaft is driven the belt moves longitudinally subjecting the clothes carried in it to the proper action and movement to thoroughly cleanse them. The belt arrangement has an unusually large capacity for receiving and properly treating the clothes and is so constructed that the clothes may be easily placed in position in it for washing or may be easily removed after washing. The construction is simple and comparatively inexpensive to make and when in position permits free access to the faucets and drain plug. A. wringer may be mounted on one of the supporting members and it may be driven from the same shaft above mentioned. The invention has many other novel features and advantages which will be apparent from -wall 14.

the following description and claims taken in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings F igure 1 is a vertical section showing one form of the invention applied to a tub.

F 1g. 2 1s a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation looking from the left in Fig. 1.

Flg. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the bearing support and clutch mechanism 1n locked position for the drive shaft shown at the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the edge of the washing belt or band showing disconnecting means.

Flg. 7 is a view in elevation looking from the left in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a front view of a washing belt havmg a door opening formed therein.

Fig. S) is a sectional view of the bearing supportand clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 4 but showing the clutch in inoperative position.

Fig. 10 shows a modified form of drive shaft and support the washing belt being omitted for clearness; and

Fig. 11 is a vertical section on line l111 of Fig. 10 showing a quick detachable hearing support for this form of drive shaft.

Referring first to the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, I have shown the device applied to a stationary or set-tub 10 provided with two compartments 11 and 12 and having one end. wall 13 and a middle A supporting member 15 which is preferably made of a flat strip of metal bent to U form fits over the top of the end wall 13 and is detachably clamped in place by the bolt or thumb screw 16. It preferably carries on the inside of the tub a short shaft 17 having rotatively mounted on it a supporting roller 18 for the washing belt as hereinafter explained. On its outer side and rigidly connected to it as a part of it there is a metal supporting plate 19 formed with a horizontal cylindrical bearing socket 20 opening toward the tub above the U shaped member 15 and having an enlarged gear chamber 21 at its other end. A rotary bearing member 22 fits and turns in the engage the correspondingly shaped reducedend 29 of the drive shaft 30. Vithin the socket there is ascrew 85, held against accidental turning by the detent spring 31. The end 29 of the drive shaft 30 is held against the head of this screw by pressure of the clutch springs 67 The screw provides adjustment for centralizing the sprockets in tubs of varying width. At the opposite side of the tub from the supporting member 15 and attached parts there is a supporting member 32 made of a fiat strip of metal bent to U form to fit over the top of wall 14. It is fastened in place by a screw threaded bolt 33 passing through it and through the attached wooden board 34 and provided at its inner end with an enlarged bearing surface engaging wall 14 and at its other end with wings for finger operation. The board 34 is secured to supporting member 32 by screws shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1'. A supporting roller 35 similar to and opposite roller 13 is mounted on shaft-36 on'the inner part of 32. r

A wooden board 37 is provided with hinge connections 33 at its bottom to the board 34so asto swing away from that board and its supporting member, but may-be held 'in upright position by hand operated bolt 39 passing through it and engaging the screw threaded nut 40 carried at the upper part of the board 34 and it may have an enlargement 41 near its outer end to bear against board 37 A wringer frame 42 is secured to the upwardly projecting portion of board 37 by any suitable means such as bolts 43 and it is to be understood that it may include any known form of wringer mechanism. It is not deemed necessary to show the wringer'mechanism in detail since those details form no-part of this invention but in Fig. 1 I have shown in section the end of the power shaft 44 of that mechanism since coiiperates with the drive shaft 30 ofjthe washing machine as will be pointed out. That power shaft 44 is normally in line with the drive shaft 30 and has in its end a: socket 45 which is preferably rectangular in cross section or some shape other than clrcular to receive the correspondingly shaped end 46 (see Fig; of the drive shaft 30 and hold it against relative rotary movement. The power shaft 44 is mounted in a bearing having a projecting cylindrical sleeve 47 and the shaft 44 has the circular that board. either with or WVl'lIlQGI may be folded on hinge 38 down extending arms of the U-shaped operating member 51 which is pivoted on rod 52 (see Fig. 2). It will be observed that when the member 51 swings on its pivot it will move the ring 49 out beyond the end of sleeve 47.

In order to move the operating members 51 there is a rotary shaft 53 provided with a handle 54 and with a laterally extending arm 55 carrying at its end a pin 56 working in a slot in one of the downwardly extending arms of the member 51 (see Fig. 2). The arm of 51 provided with this slot is thicker than the opposite arm so that the pin 56 will not interfere with pin 50 and the arrangement is such that when the bandle 54 is turned to the limit of its movement the pin 56 reaches the dead center and the parts are locked against accidental release.

The movement of the ring or sleeve, 49 above mentioned is to control the action of a clutch or releasable connection between the drive for the wringer and that for the washing machine. It will be noted that since the wring'er and its power shaft 44 are secured to and may'move with board 37 when the parts are movedto the left on hinge 38 the power shaft is out of the way and does not interfere with placing drive shaft 30 in position inserting its end 29 in socket 28 and then when the wringerand 7 other parts attached to board 37 are turned back to vertical position the end 46 of shaft 30 will enter socket 45 in thepowershaft' 44 and that power shaft will thus berotatively connected by shaft 30 and bearing member 22 and through the drive connection to the motor 26. This hinged arrangement provides a quick detachable bearing support for shaft 30 and its attached parts and thus makes the work ofplacing the washing machine and its shaft in operative position connected to the detachable end supports easy and consume little time. It will be noted further that the wringer may be detached from supporting board 37 or without the into the tub at the left in Fig. 1. y

The means for supporting and driving the washing belt or band in the form shown in Fig. 1 embodies a tube 57 surrounding the drive shaft 30 and securedat its ends to and sprockets but relative longitudinal movement is prevented by fixed stop (30 on shaft 30 at one end and'by the cylindrical sleeve 61 at the other end fitting the shaft 30 beyond sprocket 59 and having an end marginal flange 62. Pins 63 are secured in sprocket 59 and extend parallel to shaft 30 slidably entering sockets 64c in the clutch or connecting member 65. The interior of clutch member is of two diameters the smaller or which slidably fits on sleeve 61 and the larger fitting over flange 62 having an abutting shoulder to limit the outward movement of member 65 away from the sprocket. Pins 66 are secured to member 65 and project toward the flanges 47 and 48 their inner edges being within the outer margin oi those flanges and their outer edges being outside the said outer margin. The flange 48 has semi-circular depressions or notches in its margin in which the ends of the pins -i fit thus locking the power member 4% which is driven by shaft 30 to the clutch member 65 and through pins 63 to sprocket 59. lVhen pins 66 therefore en-- gage the notches in flange 48 the shaft 30 will drive the tubular member 57 and its sprockets as well as the power member 44. It will be noted. however. that the inner margin of the sliding ring 49 is within the outer margin of pins 66 and when that ring is moved to the right in Fig. 4 by the mechanism heretofore described including the handle 54 (see Figs. 2 and 9) the ring will strike the ends of pins 66 and move them to the right in Figs. 1 and 4 causing the clutch member 65 to slide on pins 6-3 to ward sprocket 59. This end movement of pins 66 and connected parts will take them out of the semicircular notches in flanges it as i lustrated in Fig. 9 and will thus break the rotary driving connection between the power shaft 44 and the tubular members 57 and its sprockets. At this time the rotation of drive shatt 30 will drive the power shaft of the wringer but not the wash ing belt support. In order to normally hold the clutch member 65 to the left in Figs. 1, at and 9 with pins 68 engaging flange els and to resist the disengaging movement coiled springs 67 are mounted in sockets in memhers 65 and bear against sprocket 59, these springs being illustrated in Fig. 5.

The washing m chanism proper as above indicated consists in endless belt or band 6'? of considerable width which is flexible longitudinally and permits the passage of water through it and which is supported from and driven by sprodzet w reels 5% and 59 and hangs down thercirom loop form into the tub. The washing belt is preterably made of a series of narrow transverse wooden slats 68 connected near their ends by metal chain links 69 and each slat is cut away between its ends at its forward inner edge 70 (see Fig. an water to be ciriulated 1.101;- the inside of the belt loop the outside to 111 its normal angle to cause travel in use. The links 69 have side bars and end bars somewhat elevated from the slats with projecting extensions or feet sc cured to the slats and a curved hook ex tension at the front on each side of the link to pivotally engage the cross bar of the next link permitting adjacent slats to turn i1 reference to ea h other in going around the loop and sprockets. This leaves a re"- tangular opening in each ink to receive a tooth 0'? one of tie sproz-ket wheels and the spacing of? course corresponds for the pur pose. As will he observed by reference to Figs. 2, 6 and 7 the slats are placed tar enough apart to permit the proper longitudinal bonding of the belt and tree pas age of. water. it will be noted. that the hanging portion of the washing belt or band is c):- panded beyond that whi h would be caused by gravity alone by reason of the guide rollers 18 and 35 over which one side passes and this serves to give proper space tor the clothes and the proper direction ot movement of the belt to get the best results. The clothes to be washed are placed in hanging loop ol the belt and by ontact with that moving belt are properly moved and a-xted upon in the water to thoroughl cleanse them. The clothes in contact with the upwardly moving portion oi the belt will be carried toward the surface of the water and will then fall back toward the center on top of other clothes and thus the "lothes are thoroughly stirred and mixed bringing all parts in succession into contact with the moving surface. This action is urthermore aided and improved by the use of inwardly projecting cleats '?l at inte vals conne'ted to the slats since the extend into the body 0t lothcs stirring them up and carrying some up to be dumped down on the others. The elongated and expanded loop arrangementof She washing belt gives much larger capacity tor the same size of in 1 than oul be possible with the old barrel type oi washer, and I further find that the clothes are much more effe tively tre ted and do not tend to ball up or clog.

In order to give eas access to the interior of the loop to insert or remove the clothes 7 make a portion of the belt or band detachable so that a portion may be move ou of the way and access given to the interior from the front through the space normally o cupied by the belt. his may he done in two ways. One way is to so term the link connections oi the hain links at one point that they may be detached thus taking the belt apart this being illustrated in Figs. 6 and T. The other (ray is to form a door in the belt between the side chains so that it may be easily opened but so that it will normally remain securely closed and this is illustrated in Fig. 8. Referring to Figs. and 7 the chain links 69 have hooked or curved end extensions 72 going'partly around the cross or key 76 is secured to the strip of the belt on one side of the proposed break and normally lies across the adjacent strip as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 thus preventing accidental unhooking. The end 77 of the strip is curved to permit the bending necessary in passing around the sprockets. The strip 76 is mounted on the end of a rotary member 78 provided with a knob 79 or other means for hand turning and of course it isto be turned to one side from the position shown in order to separate the belt. The structure on the two sides of the belt are in this respect the same. I

In the form'shown in Fig. 8, the slats of the washing belt are cut in two transversely on lines parallel to but inside ofthe chain links for a sufficient distance to form a door opening of the proper size. The line of the out is indicated by the dotted lines 8081. The slat at one edge or margin of this door is connected by hinges 82 to the adjacent slat and there may be chain link connections 83 from thesehinges across the several sla s of the doorto the final slat 84. Eaten sion 86 and 87 are secured to the door slats at opposite ends and project over and in contact with the short end sections of those slats which are secured to the chain belts and these extensions have snap fastener connections 88 and 89 with those sections. The snap fasteners may be of the well known ball and socket type. such as are used on gloves. The snap fastener connections make it possible to easily and quickly open the door to give access to the interior of the loop while at the same time holding the slats in proper position for the washing operation;

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a modified and simpler construction for supporting and driving the washing belt and while the belt is omitted for clearness its method of application will be obvious. In this instance the removable supporting members 90 and 91 are similar to members 15 and 32 and are secured in place by the clamping idly secured to it as by small bolts 99 and 100. In this instance the wooden board 101 carried by member 91 has an extension 102 over the member 91 provided with an open top U-shaped bearing socket 103 (see Fig.

11). The drive shaft may therefore be easily inserted inv the bearing, mechanism 94 as heretofore explained to make rotary connection therewith. It will of course be understood that the washing belt or band is similar to that previously described and hangs from and is driven by sprockets 97 and 98. This also furnishes means for easily and quickly applying the washing mechanism to a tub or removing it. The supporting members may remain in place while the washing mechanism proper is removed thus allowing the tub to be used for ordinary purposes. In this form the board 101 may detachably support a wringer 104: which may be operated from any source of power or by hand. 1

Referring again to the wringer supporting member 32 of Fig. 1 and the means for clamping it to the tub it will be noted from that figure and from Fig. 3 that there are two bolts 33" passing through'board and the outer depending part of member and that cylindrical holes are formed in board 37 to receive their headed ends and to permit turning of that board on its hinge without interference.

While I prefer to use a washing belt formed of transverse slats linked together it will be understood that theinvention in its broader aspects is not limitedto that ar ticular form. 'The invention is furthermore believed to be broadly new in many other respects and therefore other modifications might be made still within the spirit of the invention.

It is believed that the operations of the device will be plain from the above description. T he supporting clamps are easily and quickly applied to any ordinary fixed tub and then the drive shaft carrying the washlOO ingbelt, if it is not separabler is placed in 7 position with the belt hanging down into the tub and. supported by the guide rollers.

"The clothes are placed in the loop of the drive belt and of course water is turned on in the tub to reach the proper level andthen the motor, if a motor and not hand operation is used, is turned on and the belt is moved longitudinally engaging and constantly tumbling the clothes over each other and stirring up the water and causing it to pass through the clothes until they are thoroughly cleansed. It will be observed that the clothes washing belt does not hang down with a uniform short curve at the bottom but bulges out forming a large receiving space for the clothes down under the water Jracticall as lar e as the tub will satisfactorily permit and the angles at which it engages the clothes gives specially good results. Aside from its convenience in applying to and removal from a tub and its ethciency' in operation the fact that it is made up of a number of quick detachable parts makes it possible to pack it in very compact form for shipment.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a washing device adapted to be applied to and used with a tub, the combination with an endless longitudinally flexible washing belt pervious to water of rotary means for supporting and driving said belt, means for mounting said supporting and driving means in lixed position slightly above and across the top of the tub, the said belt being of such length as to hang down in said tub toward its bottom in an expanded loop and rollers in a line parallel to said supporting means but removed therefrom a material distance laterally along the top of the tub over which the side edges of the belt pass to expand the loop.

2. In washing device adapted to be applied to and used with a tub, the combination with a rotary shaft of means for rotating it, spaced sprocket wheels on said shaft, an endless longitudinally flexible washing belt having a pair of parallel connected chain links on its inner surface meshing with said sprocket wheels and hanging therefrom in loop form to receive the clothes therein, supporting means for said shaft including bear ings therefor and detachable means for securing said supporting means to a tub.

3. In a washing device adapted to be applied to and used with a tub, the combination with a rotary shaft of means for rotating it, spaced sprocket wheels on said shaft, an endless longitudinally flexible washing belt having a pair of parallel connected chain links on its inner surface meshing with said sprocket wheels and hanging therefrom in loop form to receive the clothes therein, supporting means for said shaft including bearings therefor and detachable means for securing said supporting means to a tub, a door in said belt between said parallel chain links to permit access to the clothes within the loop.

4. In a device of the class described an endless belt or band of substantial width and length flexible longitudinally and pervious to water, means adapted to extend across the top of a tub and to rest on the side walls thereof for supporting said band leaving an elongated loop of said band hanging therefrom and adapted to extend down into the tube to receive clothes to be washed, means for driving said band longitudinally, and two roller guides in line one on each side laterally removed a material distance from the line of the said supporting means and at a lower level to spread the loop.

5. In a clothes washing device adapted to be used with an ordinary rectangular tub, the combination of two side members adapted to be detachably secured to the upper edges of opposite walls of the tub and having alined bearings slightly above the top of the tub and alined roller guides within the tub slightly below the upper edge on a line at a material distance from the line of said bearings, rotary supporting and driving means supported in said bearings, and a flexible washing belt carried by said supporting and driving means and extending downwardly therefrom in an expanded loop with its edges passing over and resting on said guide rollers.

6. In a clothes washing device adapted to be used with an ordinary rectangular tub, the combination of two side members adapted to be detachably secured to the upper edges of opposite walls of the tub and having alined bearings slightly above the top of the tub and alined roller guides within the tub slightly below the upper edge on a line at a material distance from the line of said bearings, rotary supporting and driving means supported in said bearings and a flexible washing belt carried by said supporting and driving means and extending downwardly therefrom in an expanded loop with its edges passing over and resting on said guide rollers, and means whereby said supporting and driving means and its suspended belt may be placed in operative position or removed while said side members are secured in position.

7. A quick detachable clothes washing device comprising separate supporting members adapted to be removably secured to the top straight edges at opposite sides of a tub, a rotary driving member mounted on one of said supporting members and having a central socket adapted to receive by sliding ongagement the end of a drive shaft, a removable drive shaft adjustably fitting in said socket longitudinally at one end and held therein against relative rotary movement, a bearing for the other end of said drive shaft mounted on the other supporting member the construction being such as to permit quick detachable engagement between said end and bearing and limited longitudinal movement, and a washing mechanism carried and driven by said drive shaft and projecting downwardly into said tub.

8. be quick detachable clothes washing device comprising separate supporting members adapted to be removably secured to the top straight edges at opposite sides of a tub, a rotary driving member mounted in one of said supporting members having a central longitudinal socket in its end, a drive shaft so fitting at one end in said socket as to permit slight longitudinal movement therein but to prevent relative rotary movement, means carried by the other supporting member furnishing a quick detachable rotary bearing socket connection for the other end of said shaft, and an endless washing belt carried by and driven from said dirve shaft and adapted to hang therefrom in loop form.

9. A quick detachable clothes washing device comprising separate supporting members adapted to be removably secured to the top straight edges at opposite sides of a tub, a rotary driving member mounted in one of said supporting members having a central longitudinal socket in its end, a drive shaft so fitting at one end in said socket as to permit slight longitudinal movement therein but to prevent relative rotary movement, an

adjustable bearing member in said socket for the end of said shaft, a member hinged to the second supporting member on the outer side and carrying a rotary bearing member provided with an end socketadapted to receive and hold against relative rotation the other end of said shaft, releasable locking means for securing said hinged member in upright position, and. an endless washing belt carried and driven by said shaft.

10. A quick detachable clothes washing device comprising sperate supporting me1nbers adapted to be removably secured to the top straight edges at opposite sides of a tub, a rotary driving member mounted in one of said supporting members having a central. longitudinal socket in its end, a drive shaft so fitting at one end in said socket as to permit slight longitudinal movement therein but to prevent relative rotary movement, a member hinged to the second supporting member on the outer side and carrying a rotary bearing member provided with an end socket adapted. to receive and hold against relative rotation the other end of said shaft, a hollow shaft freely rotatable on said drive shaft, sprocket wheels on said hollow shaft,

a washing belt carried by and driven from' said sprocket wheels and a clutch for connecting said bearing member in said second supporting member to said hollow shaft.

11. A quick detachable clothes washing device comprising separate supporting members adapted to be removably secured to the top straight edges at opposite sides of a tub, rotary supporting and driving means detaehably carried by said side members slightly above the top of the tub, and a washing belt detachably carried and longitudinally driven by said supporting and driving means and sufficiently long to hang down a material distance in the form of an expanded loop in said tub.

12. A quick detachable clothes washing device comprising separate supporting members adapted to be removably secured to the top straight edges at opposite sides of atub, rotary supporting and driving means detachably carried bysaid side members slightly above the top of the tub, and a washing belt detachablycarried and longitudinally driven by said supporting and driving means and sufficiently long to hang down a material distance in the form ofan expanded loop in said tub, and means carried by said side members cotiperating with said supporting means to spread the loop of said belt materially at the upper portion of said tub.

13. In a washing device adapted to be applied to and used with a tub, the combination with a rotary shaft of means for rotating it, spaced sprocket wheels on'said shaft, an endless vlongitudinally flexible washing belt having a pair of parallel connected chain links on its inner surface meshing with said sprocket wheels and hanging therefrom in loop form to receive the clothes therein, supporting means for said shaft including bearings therefor and detachable means for securing said supporting means to a tub, and means for separating the beltv therefrom in loop form tolreceive the clothes therein, supporting means for said shaft including bearings therefor and detachable means for securing said supporting means to a tub, means for separating the belt at one point in its length on a transverse line including releasable connecting means between a pair of adjacent links of each chain on the same transverseline, and a key for each pair of releasably connected links for so linking them as to prevent accidental release.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN THORNTON. 

